Cableway.



T. S. MILLER.

GABLEWAY. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1906.

Patented Dec.29, 1908.

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wewq LO T. S. MILLER. UABLEWAY. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1906.

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Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

T. S. MILLER.

GABLEWAY.

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- T. SQMILLER.

GABLEWAY.

' APPLIOATIONIILE' 907,845; Patented Dec. 29,1908.

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T. 'S. MILLER.

v GABLEWAY. .APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 16, 1906.

Patented Dec.29, 1908.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6 wi/lmeoho THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEWJERSEY.

OABLEWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Application fil ed January 16, 1906. Serial No. 296,247.

To all whom it may concern:

MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Orange,county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Oableways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain im rovements in cableways that areparticular y applicable to the conveyance of cargo, such as coal, fromone vessel at sea to another, although some features are applicable toother purposes also. I

In United States Letters Patent granted to me heretofore, I havedescribed various cableway constructions adapted for transporting cargobetween vessels at sea involving a supporting-rope, a carriage travelingthereon and various forms of yielding and recovering mechanisms adaptedfor automatically paying out and taking up such lengths of the cablewayas are requisite to maintain the cableway approximately at a normalcurvature notwithstanding relative variations of distance between thevessels. For example, in Patent No. 736996, I have shown a yielding andrecovering mechanism consisting of a rope-drum frictionally operated inantagonism to the pull of the cablewa so that the slipping frictionaffords the yie ding and recovering power; in Patent No. 637143, thisyielding and recovering power is afforded by a yielding fluid pressureand in Patent N 0. 637142, by a sea anchor.

One feature of my present invention consists in so combining thecableway with the vessels that said yielding and recovering operationshall be relieved of supporting the full weight of the load by enlistingthe water in said support by permitting the load to normally rest in thewater during its passage from one vessel to the other. In this way, therelief from the weight of the load not only eases the yielding andrecovering'mechanism, but also enables a smaller supporting rope to beused in the cableway. Not only may the water thus assist in maintaininga normal curvature of the cableway,butit may also perform the functionwhich I have heretofore accomplished by a traction rope; or, in otherwords, produce the relative traveling motion between the cableway andthe load carriage.

Other. features of invention available either in combination with theforegoing, or

otherwise, will be apparent from the follow- Be it known that I, THOMASSPENCER' ing description and c aims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are a side view and a planof a towing and towed vessel containing my present invention in the formin which the two side cableways are independent of each other. Fig. 1shows the sea anchor and the rope connections thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 arecorresponding views of a form in which the two side cableways areconnected across the towing vessel. Figs. 5 and 6 are correspondingviews of a form in which the side cableways act as tow lines connectingthe corresponding sides of the two vessels at points approximating thecenter of longitudinal motion. Figs. 7 and 8 are details of one form ofyielding and recovering mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail of the pump engineby which said yielding and recovering mechanism may be driven. Figs. 10and 11 are details of one form of load carriage and of the apparatuscooperating therewith at the receiving end. Figs. 12 and 13 are detailsof another form of the same. Figs. 14 and 15 are details of the loadcarriage shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 16 is a detail of another formof load carriage. Fig. 17 is a detail of the bag or load receptacle.Figs. 18 and 19 are an end and side view illustrating in detail theoperation of receiving the bags.

1 is the supply ship which is the towing vessel and is shown as acollier.

2 is the consuming or receiving ship which is the towed vessel and isshown as a warship.

3 (in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive) are the tow lines between the two ships.

4 and 5 are the cableways or ropeways, each consisting of asupporting-rope upon which a series of load-carriages 6 and 7,respectively, travel.

8 and 9 are overhung cableway holders projecting outboard at the sidesof the supply vessel 1.

10 and 11 are cable way holders projecting outboard from the sides ofthe receiving ship 2. These holders may consist of booms, derricks,cranes or brackets. is stretched between the extremities of'the holders8 and 10 while the cableway 5 is stretched between the extremities ofthe holders 9 and 11.

The load-carriage in the form shown in Figs. 11 12, 14 and 15, consistsof a yoke 12 carrying the axle 13 of the wheel 14 grooved The cableway 4to fit the supporting rope 4. To the extremities of the yoke are pivotedthe hooks 15 and 16 arranged back to back, as shown. Each of these hooksis preferably of the rains horn type shown. When one or both loops ofthe bag are engaged with both hooks of a carriage, the engagement is sosecure as to resist all danger of disengagement of the bags from thehooks and also to prevent the possibility of disengagement of thecarriage from the supporting-rope during transit. At the same time, whenthe bag is lifted from the hooks, the outward pivoting of the hooksprovides an opening so that the carriage may be lifted entirely free ofthe supporting rope. To provide against backward movement of thecarriage upon the rope in case its forward propelling force should belost for any cause, I place upon one or both sides of the wheel 14, aratchet 17 fast to the wheel and a pawl 18 pivoted to the yoke. Thegroove in the sheave may also be of such form as to pinch the supportingcable, as shown in Fig. 15, so as to constitute a resistance againstslipping.

A simpler form of carriage is shown in Fig. 16, which will answer insome cases. This consists of one hook 19 loosely engaging the supportingrope so as to admit of slipping thereon and another hook 20 engaging thebag.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting ropes 4 and 5 areindependent of each other and a description of one rope and itsappurtenances will answer for both. One end of the rope 4 is made fastto the vessel 1 at 21, thence it extends around a sheave 22 on the endof the support 8; thence to and around a sheave 23 on the end of support10; thence inward and around a sheave 24 to a rope-drum 25 on the deckof the vessel 2 to which rope-drum it is made fast. 26 is thecorresponding rope-drum for the cableway 5. The rope-drums 25 and 26which respectively constitute a form of yielding and recoveringmechanism for controlling the tension on the supporting ropes 4 and 5are under the influence of a motor of some construction constantlystriving to rotate them in a direction to haul in upon the supportingropes 4 and 5. They thus exert a constant tension upon said ropes andmaintain them at an approximately normal curvature or normal elevationin or above the water; being, however, capable of yielding to the strainof said ropes so as to pay them out when the strain upon the ropesexceeds the power propelling the drums. In this way, the supportingropes 4 and 5 are kept under a uniform tension in spite of the varyinglengths which are necessary in them to accommodate the relative motionbetween the vessels for any cause, whether it be the pitching of thevessels, the yawing of the vessels or variations in the length of thetow-line due to shrinking,

stretching or slipping. The form of motor exerting such tension shown inFigs. 7 and S, is what is known as the impact water wheel motorconsisting of a circular casing 27 eontaining a wheel 28 on theperiphery of which are mounted a series of cups or buckets 29 receivingthe impact from a stream of water flowing through the pipe 30 controlledby a needle-valve 31.. The water supplying the motors for both of therope-drums 25 and 26, may be received from the same pipe 32 from whichit is directed to either or both of the two motors, as may be requiredby the valve 33. The water for the pipe 32 may be supplied l'rom acentrifugal pump 34 operated by the engine 35. Since warships areinvariably provided with pumps for tire or baling purposes, the waterfor the running of said motors may be supplied from any one of the shipspumps already existing on board and, therefore, further description ofthe details of either the pump or the engine shown in Fig. 9 isunnecessary. At the same time, the use of the water from the ships pumpfor driving a motor of the impact waterwheel type will be foundadmirably adapted to maintain the yielding tension which is requisitefor the control of the supporting rope by the drums 25 and 26 and theneedle throttle valves 31 provide the means whereby the operator canregulate the power of the yielding and recovering mechanism with greatexactness to maintain the normal curvature of the cableway in operation.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, only one rope-drum, 26, isemployed for exerting tension upon the two supporting ropes 4 and 5,since said ropes are joined together across the vessel 1 and extend asfollows: One end is fastened to the drum 26 from which the rope extendsaround the sheaves 24, 23 and 22, but instead of being made fast to thevessel 1, as in Figs. 1. and 2, it continues across the vessel 1 andaround the sheaves at the opposite side 22, 23), and is made fast at 36to the receiving ship. in this case, the two supoprting ropes 4- and 5constitute, in substance, two runs of the same rope and will act asconipensators for each other for certain motions between the vessels;such motions as are not ((UHPMF sated for in this manner being respondedto by the yielding and recovering drum 26.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and t3, the cableway supports 8, 0,1t), 11 are each placed at approximately the longitudinal center ofyawing and pitching motion of its vessel. In this way, the ell'ect ofsuch motions upon the ropes is minimized. ln Figs. 5 and 6, moreover,the supporting ropes 4 and 5 are connected together across the. vessel 1so as to constitute two runs of a single rope and act as compensators,or as yielding and recovering mechanisms for each other. In Figs. 5 and6, the two ropes, 4 and 5, are

Ill)

shown as constituting not merelyv the cableways, but alsothe tow-ropes;thus performing, also, the function of the ropes 3, 3, of Figs. 1 to 4,which, in Figs. 5 and 6, are dispensed with. In this case, the ropes 4and 5 must be made of sufhcient size to stand the towing strain. 7

Both in the constructions shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and that shown inFigs. 3 and 4, the tension operation aflorded by the drum 26 may bedispensed with, in some cases, though with less perfect results. Whenthis is dispensed with, the yielding and recovering mode of operationwill have to be supplied exclusively by the cooperation of one cable waywith theother through their mutual connection.

In my United States Letters Patent No. 786510 dated April 4, 1905, Ihave described a means for unloading a. cableway which, in principle, Iapply in the present apparatus, both to loading and unloading. Itconsists of means for engaging the cableway intermediate its sup orts soas to deflect it toward a load rest. 11 the present a paratus, the loadrest 37 at the loading en of the cableway consists of the deckofthevessel 1 or a platform erected thereupon and the means by which thecableway is deflected toward said load rest consists of an inhaul rope38 controlled by a drum or winch-head, such as found on board ship.I/Vhen the operator desires to load a carriage on the cableway, the rope38 is caused to deflect the cableway sufficiently inwardly anddownwardly so as to bring it within reach of the operator at theload-rest 37 Who places a carrier upon the supporting rope and hooks abag or bags thereto. Then the tension on the inhaul rope 38 is releasedwhereupon the tension on the supporting-rope takes up its deflection andremoves the bags from the load-rest overboard. The action of gravitywill now cause the load-carriage and its bags to run downward into thewater. Thereupon, the water will oppose the forward movement of theloadwith the progress of the vessels so as to cause the supporting-ropeto run forward through the load-carriage until the carriage reaches apoint at one side of the receiving ship, as shown in Figs. 18 and 19. Atthis point, is located a means for deflecting the cableway toward thereceiving load-rest 38 consisting of a sheave-block 39 engaging thesupporting-rope 4 or 5, as the case may be, and controlled by theinhaulropes 40 and 41, one of which serves to deflect the cablewayupward toward the crane or derrick 42, and the other of which serves todeflect it inwardly so that the load is made to describe the courseindicated by the dotted arrow 43, in Fig. 18. The rope 41 may beactuated by a suitable drum 44 and corresponding means of actuation maybe rovided for the rope 40.:

tained in position at the sheave-block 39 during its described course tothe load-rest 38*, the following detainer mechanism is provided: On thesheave-block 39 is pivoted a lever 45, the rear end of which may containa counterweight as 46 and the front end of which is constructed in theform of a broad hook consisting of the broad inclined face 47 extendingbetween the forked ends 48 and 49. This hook when ready to receive thearriving load-carriage is in such position that the top of the yoke 12of the load-carriage will strike against the inclined face 47 of thehook and raise the hook until it is passed by the load-carriage,whereupon the hook will drop down in front of the load-carriage and holdthe same in place between the hook and the block 39 until by the actionof the deflecting ropes 40 and 41 already described, the load has beendeposited upon the receiving rest 38*.

Instead of having a purely mechanical device for detaining theload-carriage at the block 39 while it is being picked up out of thewater and depositedon the receiving loadrest, I may accomplish the sameresult electrically by placing upon the face of the block 39, a magnetor magnets 50, the poles of which are presented to the load-carriageupon its arrival and magnetically hold the same during its transfer fromthe water to the receiving load-rest. The electricity for supplying themagnets may be conducted through any suitable wires, as 51, and as soonas the load .reachesthe load-rest, the breaking of the current willcause the release of the load-carriage. Thereupon, the operatorunhooksthe bag or bags from the carriage and removes the carriage itselffrom the cableway andby paying out on the ropes 40 and 41 permits thedeflection of the cableway to be taken up in readiness for the arrivalof another loaded carriage.

The return of the carriages and empty bags from the receiving to thesupply-ship may be accomplished in the following manner: 52 (Figs. 1 to4, and 19) is a supportingrope or cableway adapted to receive the samecarriages 6 and 7 before referred to. This supporting-rope is stretchedbetween a sheave 53 on the mast ofthe supply-ship and the sheaves 54 and55 on the masts of the receiving ship. The end of the rope 52 on thesupply-ship 1 is fast to the drum or barrel of a Winch about which it iscoiled several times. Its rear end is secured to a sea anchor 56 shownin Fig. 1" or other yielding and recovering device, such as therope-drum 59 Figs. 3 and 4, adapted to maintain it at a normal curvatureor elevation. Intermediate the supports 53 and 54 and over the deck ofthe receiving ship, is the deflecting rope 57 by which the rope 52 isdeflected downwardly toward the deck of the receiving In order that theoad-carriage may be re- 1 ship 2 into position for the operator to placethereon the carriages. Correspondingly,at

the ship 1, is placed a deflecting rope 58 adapted to deflect thesupporting rope 52 toward the deck of the vessel 1 for the detachment ofthe carriages. Several of the carriages and several bags in the form ofa package may be secured to one carriage and sent back together. Thesheave 54 on the ship 2 will have suflicient elevation so that thereturn of the carriages may be by gravity for a long portion of itsjourney. The conclusion of the journey, however, will be performed byhauling in on the end of the supporting-rope 52 at the ship 1 accordingto the mode of operation described in my application No. 214909 filedJuly 1, 1904. During the conclusion of the journey, if at an up grade,the backward movement of the carriage on the supporting-rope will be prevented by the pawl 18 and ratchet 17 already referred to and by thepinching engagement between the curve of the load-carriage wheel 14 andthe supporting-cable 52'.

Although I have described the cableway 52 as being operated for thereturn of the carriages and empty bags, it may, however, be used in thereverse direction for transporting the loaded-carriages from the supplyship 1 to the receiving ship 2, thus affording, together with theeableways 4 and 5, altogether three eableways acting simultaneously forthe conveyance of the load from one ship to the other. When used in thismanner, the operator will haul down upon the rope 58 and place acarriage upon the supporting-rope 52 and hook a loaded bag or bagsthereon. He will then pay out on the supporting-rope 58 until thedeflection there of is taken up at the forward end. The operator at thereceiving end will thereupon haul down upon the deflecting rope 57 untilthe rope inclines sufficiently from front to rear to cause the loadedcarriage to run by gravity nearly to the receiving point. The completionof its journey will be caused by hauling in on the rear end of thesupporting rope 52.

The bags, which I am making the subject of a separate application, No.294,716 filed Jan. 5, 06 are constructed as shown in Fig. 17, consist ofa canvas body 60 provided with the rope supporting loops 61 and with agathering string 62 by which the to may be gathered in the manner shown.canvas cap 63 is also provided to fit snugly over the gathered top andthis cap has, in turn, a gathering string 64 which holds it in place inconjunction with the flap 65 by which the cap is hinged to the side ofthe bag. The material of the bag is water-proofed, which fact, inconnection with the gathering of the top and the cap upon the same, willexclude the water sufliciently from the interior of the bag so that verylittle water, if any, will enter the bag during the short time that thebag is immersed in its passage from one vessel to the other, which maynot in practice exceed more than a minute or so; the coal being keptsubstantially dry.

The operation of the ap aratus is as follows: The coal on the vesse 1 isfilled into the bags in the hold which are hoisted onto the deck orplatform, which constitutes the startin load-rest 37. The attendantsthen cause the rope 38 to deflect the supporting rope close to thisload-rest and place thereon a carriage and hook one or more bagsthereto. They then release the rope 38 and the carriage runs downward tothe water by gravity. The coal now rests in the water which supports itto such extent that the supporting rope is relieved of a large portionof its strain and not only requires less tension to maintain itsposition but, also, may be made of much smaller size than if it werecalled upon to support the load unaided by the water. While the bag isimmersed in the water the advance of the vessels causes the supportingrope to run through the carriage until the block 39 comes up to thecarriage whereupon the carriage will be automatically detained at saidblock, either electrically or mechanically, as above described.Thereupon, the attendant at the receiving ship will deflect thesupporting rope by means of the ropes 40 and 41 until the load isdeposited on. the receiving load-rest 38 as shown in Fig. 18. Thereupon,the attendants will detach the bags from the carriage and the carriagefrom the supporting-rope and release the deflection of the supportingrope so as to allow it to assume its normal position ready for the nextoperation. Thereu on, the bags are dumped and they and t 1e carriage areatattached to the supporting rope 52 and returned to the supply vessel,as already described. There will thus be two runs of loaded bags passingbetween the vessels and one return run of empty bags.

In the drawings, I have shown the bags of coal in transit as beingentirely subn'ierged below the water line R. This, I consider to be anadvantage because it places the bags below the most violent portion ofthe wave motion during the greater portion of their passage and, also,so far below the level of the tow-line as to prevent the possibility ofthe bags being thrown by the wave motion. over the tow-line in theirpassage by a cross sea. The extent to which the bags are i1nmersed, ifany, below the surface, will, however, be de endent upon the nature ofthe contents 0' the bags and the manner in which they are tied.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a pulling support, a pulled support, a plurality ofeableways extending between the supports, means for deflecting thecableways, yielding and recovering mechanism for maintaining a uniformtension upon said cableways, a load receptacle, and means whereby theyielding and recovering mechanism is relieved from supporting the fullWeight of the load, such load being immersed in the water when on adeflected cableway.

2. In combination, a pulling support, a pulled support, two cableways, aflexible load receptacle for each cableway and a connection between saidcableways whereby one acts as a yielding and recovering mechanism forthe other, and means for relieving the yielding and recovering mechanismfrom supporting the full weight of the load.

3. In combination, a pulling support, a pulled support, two cableways, aload receptacle for each, a yielding and recovering mechanism andconnections between said cableways whereby each cooperates with theyielding and recovering operation of the other, and means for relievingthe cableways from the full weight of the load when such load isimmersed in water during its passage.

4. In combination a towing boat, a towed boat, two towing linesrespeotivelyconnecting the corresponding sides of the said boats, a loadreceptacle mounted upon one of said tow lines, and a third cableextending between the boats at a position between the two side lines.

5. In combination, a towing boat, a towed boat, two tow linesrespectively connecting corresponding sides of said boats, means formaintaining uniform tension upon the tow lines, a load receptaclemounted to travel upon each tow line, and means for deflecting the towlines.

6. In combination, a towing boat, a towed boat, two tow linesrespectively connectin the corresponding sides of said boats, a loacarriage mounted to travel upon each tow line and a connection betweensaid towlines whereby one acts as a yielding and recovering mechanismfor the other.

7. In combination, a towing boat, a towed boat, two tow linesrespectively connecting the corresponding sides of said boats, aloadcarriage mounted to travel upon each tow line and a yielding andrecovering mechanism and means for relieving the yielding and recoveringmechanism from the full weight of the load at certain times during thepassage of the load.

8. In combination, a pulling supply boat, a pulled consuming boat, acableway, yielding and recovering mechanism for main taining asubstantially uniform tension upon the cableway, a load receptacle, andmeans for deflecting the cableway.

9. In combination, a pulling support, a pulled support, a cableway,latera ly overung holders for said cableway and means engaging saidcableway intermediate said holders whereby it is deflected toward one ofsaid supports.

10. In combination, a pulling support, a pulled support, a cableway,laterally overhung holders for said cableway and means engaging saidcableway intermediate said holders whereby it is deflected toward bothof said supports.

11. In combination, a pulling support, a pulled support, a cableway, anoverhung older for the cableway at one of said supports and meansengaging with said cableway in front of said holder whereby the cableway is deflected toward one of said supports.

' 12. In combination, a pulling support, a ulled support, a cableway,overhung holders for said cableway, a load receptacle, acableway-deflecting-mechanism and connections between said parts wherebythe load is put overboard from the pulling support and picked up at thepulled support.

13. In combination a pulling support, a pulled support, a cableway, aload receptacle, yielding and recovering mechanism for maintainingsubstantially uniform tension upon the cableway, deflecting mechanism,overhung supports for said cableway, means for putting t e loadoverboard at the pulling sup ort, and means for recovering the load at te ulled support.

14. n combination, a propelled boat, a following boat, a connectingrope, a load carriage moving relatively along said rope, a loadreceptacle of flexible material constructed to practically excludewater, a cable deflecting mechanism and connections whereby the load isput overboard from the pro elled boat and picked up at the followingoat.

15. In combination, a pulling boat, a pulled boat, two cableways onopposite sides of said boat, a third cableway intermediate the two,means for transporting cargo on said side cableways and means forreturning the receptacles for said cargo on said intermediate cableway.

16. In combination, a pulled boat, a pulling boat and three connectingcableways connecting said boats and adapted for conveyance of loadreceptacle; two of said cableways being arranged one on each side of theboats and the third intermediate the two.

17. In combination, a pulled boat, a pulling boat, three cablewaysconnecting said boats and adapted for conveyance of load receptacles;two of said cableways being arranged approximately at the level of thehulls and the third being elevated on the masts.

18. In combination, a pulled boat, a pulling boat, three cablewaysconnecting said boats and adapted for conveyance of load receptacles;two of said cableways being supported by Outriggers and the third by themasts.

19. In combination, a towing boat, a towed boat and two cableways one oneach side of said boats and extending from approximately thelongitudinal center of motion of one boat to the other, and a thirdcable extending between the masts ol' the boats.

20. In combination, a pulling boat, a pulled boat, a cableway, a loadreceptacle and a yielding and recovering mechanism consisting of a ropedrum operated by a liquid motor driven from the ships pump.

21. In combination, a pulling support, a pulled support, a cableway, aload receptacle, connections between said parts whereby the load restsin the Water during transit, a detainer whereby the load is secured atthe delivery end of the cableway and means whereby it is hoisted fromthe water onto for said cableway, a load carriage, means engaging saidcableway whereby it is deflected toward its support, and a detainerwhereby the carriage is held adjacent to the deflector during saiddeflection.

23. In combination, a cablewav, its sup ports, a load-supportintermediate said supports and elevated above the normal level of thecableway, a load-carriage and means whereby the load-carriage andeableway are lifted toward said support.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunlo signed my name in the presence oftwo subcribing witnesses.

THOMAS SPENCER MILLER. Witnesses:

J. ll. DICKINSON, R. B. OAVANOGH.

